Meet Peta Thiel: The Chemist Behind Water Treatment

Hi, I’m Peta Thiel — founder, Managing Director, and Principal Chemist at Research Laboratory Services.

If you work in water treatment, you’ve probably seen your fair share of challenges, contaminants of concern, and fast-moving headlines. I’ve seen them too, from algal toxins and DBPs, to endocrine disruptors and PFAS. I’ve spent over 20 years working directly with councils, utilities, and engineers to make sense of it all and keep filters running.

I started RLS to help the industry move beyond one-size-fits-all advice and into evidence-based, practical solutions that actually work.

What I Do

At RLS, we specialise in filtration media analysis, treatment optimisation, and lab-scale simulation of full-scale performance including:

• Jar testing

• Column trials (GAC, IEX, DMI)

• Ozone demand and oxidation studies

• BDOC, AOC, UV254, SUVA

We help clients select the right treatment approach for their water, with data that supports funding cases, upgrades, and compliance decisions.

I’ve Seen It All (And Tested Most of It)

My technical background spans the whole parade of contaminants of concern:

• Algae metabolites like geosmin and MIB (remember when that was the hot topic?)

• Taste and odour removal through activated carbon and BAC

• Disinfection by-products (THMs) and the endless balance with oxidation

• Endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals (back when ozonation was the answer to everything)

• Cryptosporidium and Giardia and the disinfection arms race

• And now... PFAS the latest catastrophe everyone’s racing to solve

Each time, the same pattern plays out: urgency → investment → cost modelling → “maybe next budget cycle.” But some of us stay the course, helping clients build real, adaptable strategies that go beyond the headlines.

What I Care About

I care about helping people in the water industry feel confident in the decisions they make, not just reactive, not just ticking boxes. That’s why I focus on:

• Realistic optimisation, not just theory

• Lab testing that reflects actual site conditions

• Teaching and mentoring operators to understand their systems

• Being someone that clients trust to tell them what’s working and what’s not

  
  

Where My Work Shows Up

• Water Treatment Plant Design, 5th Ed. Chapter 9: High Rate Granular Media Filtration

• Presentations at WIOA, AWWA, and IWA

• Articles in Utility Magazine, AWWA Water Journal

• Custom SOPs, challenge testing reports, and application studies for utilities all over Australia

  
  

Want to Work Together?

If you’ve got a tricky filter, a PFAS challenge, or just want to bounce ideas around, I’d love to help. Book a consultation or get in touch to see how we can work together.